Even as the country is set to get a new major airport at Noida, a new airline is also going to get added soon to the skies — Shankh Air. The newest airline of India has received approval from the civil aviation ministry to operate in the country. It now needs approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to officially begin flights.
What is Shankh Air?
According to its website, Shankh Air will be the first Schedule airline to launch from Uttar Pradesh. It will hub over Lucknow and Noida to facilitate connections to all major cities in India. The airline will operate both Inter and Intra state routes, especially focusing on cities with high demand and limited direct flight options.
As of now, the airline plans to provide connectivity to Lucknow, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur. It will expand the operations later.
The airline is owned by Sharvan Kumar Vishwakarma, who is also the chairman of the airline.
Shankh Air’s Fleet?
Shankh Air will have twin-class, full-service scheduled airlines with a new generation fleet of Boeing 737-800NG aircraft to its fleet, according to the company’s website.
The airline will have its Hub at Lucknow, Upcoming Jewar Airport (Noida) and New Delhi.
When Will it Be Launched?
Though the no-objection certificate (NOC) received by the airline from the civil aviation ministry is valid for three years, Shankh Air plans to launch the airline by the end of 2024.
Shankh Air’s management team is already in place. The company said the staff hiring process is starting soon.
In its approval letter, the ministry has asked Shankh Air to adhere to all regulations, including those related to foreign direct investment (FDI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
In March, Shankh Air’s co-founders and management team had met Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann and COO Kiran Jain. They discussed a partnership to give strength to Uttar Pradesh’s initiative towards enhancing air connectivity.
